The time is flying by at my first French art residency experience, and as my new friend Carol from New Zealand keeps saying, “I’m just trying to soak it all in.”

That’s exactly what it feels like, its something you can’t quite hold onto, only experience fully while you’re inside it.

The Château d’Orquevaux Artist & Writers Residency is filled with new colors, constant conversation, and a creative energy I didn’t realize I needed this much. I’m mostly focused on painting, weaving in photography, and letting a little writing happen naturally in between.

The swans are swimming, paint is on my hands, clothes, and hair daily, poetry is shared casually in passing, and the church bell rings on the hour in the distance. The sound carries through the cool air in a way that feels oddly familiar - like the East Bay train back in Charleston or the subways in New York, except here, everything feels softer, slower.

Arrival: From Paris to a Fairytale Setting

We all took the train from Paris to Chaumont, then piled into vans for a 30-minute drive that felt like a transition into another world.

The château sits at the top of a hill overlooking a lake with two small waterfalls, swans (Steve and Amy), a few geese, and ducks that seem to always be nearby. Down the hill: goats, peacocks, and what feels like an ever-expanding cast of fairytale characters. There’s even a vineyard in the works between the château and the lake.

A Castle overlooking a fairytale lake is what I get to wake up to for three weeks with days focused on making new artwork, new friends, and weaving in my remote working hours late afternoon into the evening. We’re creating from lived experience and the work coming out is incredible!

First Impressions: 26 Strangers, Instantly Connected

The first night we arrived at the Chateau(translates to castle!), there was an amazing Champagne and cheese welcome party so we could mix and mingle - we are in the Champagne-Ardenne region after all. Impressively half the group flew in the same morning before the 2.5 hour train ride, and 30 minute van shuttle to Orquevaux, so the room was filled with adrenaline and exhausted strangers eager to begin this incredible adventure!

What struck me almost immediately during our welcome party was the sheer diversity in the room. There are painters, illustrators, writers, performers and each person arrived with their own rhythms, references, and ways of seeing the world. As this is my first art residency, I didn’t quite know what to expect, but it felt surprisingly fluid to be in a room with 26 creative strangers. (thank god) Instead of hesitation, there was an undercurrent of excitement and genuine kindness; everyone seemed eager to learn about one another, asking thoughtful questions and listening closely. Conversations unfolded effortlessly, often sparked by something small and quickly growing into deeper discussion about process, techniques, and inspiration. I remember thinking: did we just get lucky, or is every residency filled with people like this? Are all artist residencies a kind of gentle hug from the creative world? Connections formed quickly, and the unfamiliar felt warm, collaborative, and full of excitement!

The Château: A Living History of Creativity

View of Orquevaux village: Current Stables Studios for Chateau d’Orquevaux Artist & Writers Residency

The château itself feels like its own collaborator. A work of art inside and out. The original chateau dates back to the 1700’s and is assumed to be tied to Denis Diderot. (full disclosure, I am not a historian but tried to pull some highlights from what I’ve read and heard around the house)

On September 9th, 1772, the daughter of Denis Diderot, Marie-Angelique Diderot married Able Nicolas Francois Caroillon du Vandal - owner of the chateau beginning in 1760s. Able Caroillon du Vandal in interest for the King of France was manager of the Ironworks the Comte d’Artois, Treasure of France, the Chief clerk of Finance and Director of the King’s Domain.

Diderot was a central figure of the Age of Enlightenment, promoting art, philosophy, and intellectual exchange. It is thought that his daughter Marie. The modern role of the Chateau is supporting writers, artists, and thinkers and echoes Diderot’s legacy as a champion of the arts and intellectual collaboration

Creative Energy: Returning to the Work

There’s something about the stillness here that makes it easier to focus.

No TVs. Less noise. Open air. Space.

The usual distractions fall away, and what’s left are the ideas that have been waiting—quietly building. It feels like they’ve been given permission to surface again.

Two things before I keep rambling about the beauty of the French countryside:

I know it’s a privilege to get to be here and “step away” from the world while it’s on fire. Clearly we still have internet as I’m sharing this blog with you. I see the news and chaos of my social feed still. But I think that’s fueling me even more to capture beautiful colors and textures and make artwork. Selfishly it's good for my mental health to paint, and the cherry on top is that I get to share it with the world! And when it gets to live in your homes, I hope it means the joy is being passed along. Kind of like compound interest. I get to make one piece of artwork and many people might find joy, new curiosity, and pleasure over stress.
I feel really proud getting accepted into this residency!! A lot of planning went into getting here. And a lot of energy is being used here - excitingly! I took the first week off from work(my day job) and have some sprinkled days off during the second and third weeks, but after creative mornings and early afternoons, I clock in and work til 9/10pm or so. Ya girl is exhausted by the end of the day, but so alive!

The reality for most creatives is finding ways to support your art and dreams. So getting to join this residency holds real weight for me - getting in, evolving my creative techniques, balancing work, and getting to grow with new creative friends. What I’m saying..Chase your damn dreams and nap later :)

If I’m being honest, I hadn’t painted much in the past several months. Life felt chaotic, and leading up to this residency, there was this underlying question: what if I can’t create things I’m excited about or proud of?

But being here has shifted something. It’s more of a focus on letting myself explore and cut the noise. (I am very excited about what is evolving on the canvas tho!!)

Before arriving, my “studio” was wherever I could land since I sold my house. I’ve been moving between places, staying with friends and family, figuring out what it means to build a creative practice while living nomadically.

So having a dedicated studio that is filled with natural light, space to experiment, and time carved out specifically to create feels so amazing!

A New Body of Work Emerging

I found myself leaning further into what’s been quietly forming in my work: combining historic textures and color palettes with more modern, minimal compositions. There's much more contrast in these pieces and more risk. More depth. I’ve discovered the excitement of transparency, and the layers overlapping and revealing each other in ways that feel unexpected.

This new body of work emerging feels different. More honest, maybe.

At its core, it’s becoming centered around something I keep returning to: art inspired by community tables and shared connection.

Small details or what I’m calling “treats” that hold presence.

It’s really about capturing moments that bring people together—those in-between spaces where conversation, energy, and memory intersect.

The kind of moments you don’t always think to document, but somehow stay with you.

These will become a series of original paintings created in France, and I’m so excited to share more!

Life Beyond the Studio

There is a wine cave here! It’s on the basement floor and is a chilly haven. One of the family owners was well connected in the wine trade with uncles and cousins exporting champagne and wine. They built 6 large wine caves that could house thousands of bottles. Only one cave currently stores wine for residents, and we’re doing our part to not let the wine sit on the shelf while we’re here :)

Ok I have to get back to the studio, but I’ll share additional updates soon here on the blog and daily on my Instagram and Facebook! Enjoy the Creative Field Notes and if there’s anything you’re curious about, let me know!

Creative Field Notes:

My new favorite creative medium is the Caran d’Ache NeoColor II Aquarelle water soluble wax pastel. You can use them dry like a crayon or apply water for varied effects - a dream! I treated myself to the 30 piece set at the Paris art store - Rougier & Plé
PSA: “preservatives” in French translates to… condom. This came up during a very earnest food conversation.
Painting without hesitation is something I’m trying to channel more and more. A few of my abstract painting friends and I have been talking about how you can see and feel the hesitation in brush strokes when you’re painting from a place that has restraint. This doesn’t mean that we don’t paint and then cover areas up, or keep pushing areas, or even throw a piece away. But mostly at the root, believe in your creative hand and heart - that’s when the energy shifts.

26 Artists, One Château: A French Art Residency Experience